This listing does not state pay. Across 197 open systems engineer listings that state pay, the middle half runs $104,000 to $164,500 and the median is $125,000.

Listed pay is what employers advertise, not what people are paid.

Systems Engineer salaries by state · Check your own pay

How AI is used in this kind of work

Among computer occupations, all other, AI is already used for a large share of the tasks. Measured exposure for computer occupations, all other: 31% (high).

Share of this job’s tasks that AI is already used for at work, from real usage. It is not a forecast of job loss, and a low number means no use seen yet. Source: Anthropic Economic Index.

Check how this applies to your own job

Skills this job asks for

Say which you have and which you want to build. We use it to match you to jobs like this one.

About the job

Responsibilities

Arcfield is seeking a Senior Systems Engineer for the Merigold contract to provide SETA support for the architecture, integration, and evolution of enterprise messaging capabilities within cloud and hybrid mission environments.

In this role, you will serve as a trusted Government technical advisor supporting the transition and integration of messaging services across legacy, cloud, and emerging enterprise architectures. You will evaluate requirements, interfaces, data exchanges, service dependencies, and implementation approaches to ensure messaging capabilities remain secure, resilient, interoperable, and aligned with mission needs.

The ideal candidate combines strong systems engineering fundamentals with practical knowledge of cloud-based messaging, distributed architectures, and modern software delivery practices. You will work across development teams, System Program Offices, architects, cybersecurity professionals, and mission stakeholders to identify integration challenges and guide solutions from concept through operational implementation.

Key Responsibilities

Architecture & Modernization Strategy: Guide the architecture, design, and modernization of enterprise messaging services. Drive the transition and migration planning to move legacy messaging capabilities into scalable, modern cloud and hybrid environments.

Requirements & Agile Engineering: Translate mission needs into actionable technical artifacts. Develop, refine, and evaluate system requirements, Agile features, user stories, and acceptance criteria while championing DevSecOps and Digital Engineering practices.

Integration & Impact Analysis: Analyze complex API interfaces, data exchanges, and service dependencies across interconnected systems. Evaluate the impact of continuous software releases, infrastructure updates, and new capability introductions on the broader ecosystem.

Risk & Resiliency Assessment: Evaluate proposed technical solutions for scalability, resiliency, interoperability, and security. Identify integration risks, technical debt, and schedule dependencies, developing actionable mitigation strategies for Government decision-makers .

Stakeholder Orchestration: Act as the technical connective tissue between System Program Offices, enterprise architects, software developers, cybersecurity teams, and mission users. Actively participate in Agile planning, integration events, testing, and operational readiness reviews.

Strategic Advisory: Develop executive-level technical assessments, architecture recommendations, and transition strategies. Confidently brief program status and engineering tradeoffs to senior Government stakeholders.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

Clearance: Must possess and be able to maintain a TS/SCI with Poly

Education & Experience: Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering , Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology, or a related technical discipline with 10-12 years of relevant experience; OR a Master’s degree with 8-10 years of experience; PhD with 5-7 years of experience OR equivalent relevant professional experience.

Domain Expertise: Significant systems engineering experience supporting complex software or cloud-based systems, with a strong background in cloud architectures, enterprise messaging, distributed systems, or service-based architectures.

Modern Delivery & Agile: Demonstrated understanding of Agile development methodologies, modern software delivery practices, and system integration/transition processes.

Requirements Management: Proven experience developing, managing, and tracing technical requirements and system interfaces.

Soft Skills: Strong analytical, technical writing, and stakeholder coordination skills, with the ability to operate independently and authoritatively as a senior Government technical advisor.

Desired Qualifications

Experience supporting cloud capabilities and migrations within the Intelligence Community (IC) or DoD.

Deep knowledge of enterprise messaging technologies, APIs, event-driven architectures, or data exchange services (e.g., Kafka, RabbitMQ, etc.).

Hands-on experience with DevSecOps environments, CI/CD pipelines, and automated delivery.

Familiarity with cloud security principles, Zero Trust architecture, containerization, and microservices.

Proven experience modernizing or migrating legacy mission capabilities into cloud-native environments.

Equal Pay Act

This is the projected compensation range for this position. There are differentiating factors that can impact a final salary/hourly rate, including, but not limited to, Contract Wage Determination, relevant work experience, skills and competencies that align to the specified role, geographic location (For Remote Opportunities), education and certifications as well as Federal Government Contract Labor categories. In addition, Arcfield invests in its employees beyond just compensation. Arcfield ’s benefits offerings include, dependent upon position, Health Insurance, Life Insurance, Paid Time Off, Holiday Pay, Short Term and Long-Term Disability, Retirement and Savings, Learning and Development opportunities, wellness programs as well as other optional benefit elections.

Min: $135,035.83 Max: $234,801.11 EEO Statement

We are an equal opportunity employer and federal government contractor. We do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment as protected by law.